international palestinian student from Israel with a 1550 SAT, what US universities should I realistically apply to for EE?
Hey everyone, I'm an international palestinian student from Israel applying to US universities for Electrical Engineering.
I'm trying to figure out what universities are actually realistic for me, especially because I also need financial aid. I'd really appreciate honest advice from people who know US admissions.
My stats:
• 98/100 average ( I think that equates to a 4.0 unweighted)
everything below this is 5 units, as in equivalent to an ap class in the US:
• Math: 98
• Physics: 100
• Chemistry: 95
• Computer science: 100
• English: 100
• TOEFL: 5.5/6.0
• SAT: 1550
• ML/CNN project (it's a bit shitty considering I reached 80 percent accuracy on 10 classes, however it was handmade, github link: [https://github.com/fadiay08/cnn-10-animals\](https://github.com/fadiay08/cnn-10-animals) )
• Double pendulum chaos physics project ( github link: [https://github.com/fadiay08/double-pendulum-chaos\](https://github.com/fadiay08/double-pendulum-chaos) )
and please do forgive me as I did get help from chatgpt regarding the english versions and the github of my projects and I have not fully cleaned them up. Hebrew version is however fully handwritten and polished and so is the code.
• Participated in Maala, a program for outstanding Arab students (That's the actual description, its a computer science program for arabs at the top of their schools that gives you a 5 unit, aka an AP class, in computer science where you learn at an actual university and learn around uni level math and physics)
• No major Olympiad awards, published research, or other major extracurricular achievements
I'm Palestinian and live in northern Israel, in a relatively small area. There aren't many extracurricular opportunities available to me, especially compared to students in bigger cities or students who have access to research programs, competitions, internships, etc. Most of what I've done outside school I've had to do independently.
I'm mainly interested in Electrical Engineering and Physics.
The biggest issue is cost. My family can afford around 40k usd including tuition, housing, food, insurance, and personal expenses. So I need either a university that is relatively affordable or one that gives international students significant financial aid or merit scholarships.
I'm also considering applying Early Decision somewhere if there's a university where it would make sense for my profile and financial situation.
So rather than asking whether I can get into specific universities, I'd really like to know which US unis I actually have a realistic chance at getting at, considering I'm currently looking at europe and TU/e (Eindhoven) seems to be my best bet,
I'm looking for a balanced list with some reaches, targets, and safer options.
Also, how much do you think my lack of extracurriculars will hurt me given my location and circumstances?
Please be brutally honest. I'm not looking for reassurance. I'd rather hear that a university is unrealistic and find out now than waste money applying. And if any more info is needed please do ask.
Thanks!